Bristol Rovers v Southend United RECAP as Rovers dominate to win 3-0

Bristol Rovers entertain Southend United at the Memorial Stadium this afternoon looking to build on a big win against Rotherham United last time out.

On that occasion, Rovers ended a run of terrible form with a battling win against the Millers.

Darrell Clarke called that victory a building block and Rovers will be looking to add to that block against Phil Brown's Southend side.

Rovers have exceptional home form from December onwards in the past few seasons, and would dearly love another win today to continue their climb up the table and back towards the top 10.

Southend arrive in decent form, having lost just once in their last seven league matches and just three times in the last 13. They are currently ninth in League One, with Rovers four points behind in 15th place.

Join our Rovers reporter Jack Vittles live from the Mem all afternoon for all the match build-up, action and reaction.

FULL TIME

Added time

3-0

Sercombe’s first effort is saved but he follows it up and after a faff with the all under his feet he’s round the keeper and slots the ball into an empty net.

86 minsKEY EVENT

GOAL

3-0 Rovers!

84 mins

Save!

Another big save from Oxley. This time from a powerful Sercombe shot.

It’s all Rovers now

76 mins

Harrison!

No more than Rovers deserve.

Harrison chests the ball down expertly and plays it to Bodin. He plays in Sercombe who passes it on to Harrison beautifully.

Harrison has a shot and it canons off the inside of the right hand post and into the back of the net.

Beautiful counter attacking football from the Gas!

75 minsKEY EVENT

GOAL

2-0 Rovers!

70 mins

Pressure

Five corners for Rovers in two minutes!

And the pressure if piling on Southend, somehow they keep the ball out of the net.

69 mins

Off the line

Bodin swings the corner in and Ranger has to head the ball off the line for Southend.

No idea who headed it for Rovers, a real melee in there

67 mins

Corner

Leadbitter wins Rovers a corner on the right

63 mins

How?

How have Rovers not scored there?

Brown’s free kick is acrobatically saved by Oley before Harrison’s follow up shot is blocked. Then Bodin’s effort is blocked too, and the ball falls to Sercombe.

His effort goes just inches wide of the post. Great chances for Rovers

59 mins

Sub

Nile Ranger on for Southend - to plenty of boos.

Fortune comes off

58 mins

Shot!

Great work from Rovers. Partington doing all the dirty work and winning the ball back brilliantly before passing to Harrison.

The Roves striker then unleashes a powerful long range effort, but it’s straight at Oxley, who can gather comfortably enough on the second attempt

52 mins

Block!

A vital block from Ferdinand as a ball from Bodin finds Harrison, but the Southend skipper is there to block Harrison’s close range effort on goal

48 mins

Corner

Good strength from Leadbitter wins Rovers an early corner

Peeep!KEY EVENT

Second half

We’re back underway!

It’s 1-0 Rovers

Peeeep!KEY EVENT

HALF TIME

1-0 Rovers, good stuff from Rovers so far

45 mins

Added time

2 mins

44 mins

What a run

Harrison runs about 50 yards with the ball and has Southend backpedaling but looses control and ball bobbles through to the goalkeeper.

15:41

PIC

Rovers celebrate Bodin’s opener

Bodin opens the scoring for Rovers

36 mins

Clattered

Ball comes in from the right and goes over Smith’s head in the Rovers goal and falls to Wordsworth but he fouls Smith and Rovers get away from one. The Southend man was only about three yards away from goal.

30 mins

Save!

Lovely ball in from the right by Leadbitter and Harrison heads it towards the corner of the goal. But Mark Oxley is across to save superbly and deny a certain goal. Gaffney can’t convert the rebound from an acute angle.

28 minsJack Vittles

High and wide

Good Rovers counter attack with Lee Brown down the right and he stand a cross up at the back post as Bodin arrives.

But the Rovers goalscorer can’t keep his effort down and he shins it over the bar.

21 minsJack Vittles

First chance

And with that a first chance for the visitors.

Josh Wright played in on right hand side of the box, but his shot goes wide of the post. He really should have hit the target from there. Let off for Rovers

20 minsJack Vittles

Wide

More pressure from Rovers and good ball from the right finds Harrison, but his header goes well wide.

All good stuff from Rovers though, who have dominated the first 20 minutes here

16 minsJack Vittles

Billy Bodin!

That man!

Long throw from Gaffeny on the right and it’s partially cleared as Harrison goes up for the header but the ball only gets as far as Bodin. He takes one lovely touch to bounce the ball over the Shrimpers defender and with a second touch he lashes the ball passed Oxley from a few yards out.

15 minsKEY EVENT

GOAL

1-0 Rovers!

12 minsJack Vittles

Shot!

Lovely curving shot from the edge of the box by Bodin. That looked goalbound but Mark Oxley in the Southend goal gets across brilliantly to keep it at 0-0.

Lovely stuff from the Rovers No.10

11 minsJack Vittles

Positive

Very positive start from Rovers, they’re enjoying most of the possession and pretty much all of the territory too.